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March 16, 2015

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners – Part 1

Having your own vegetable garden can be beneficial in a variety of ways. For starters, a vegetable plant you buy at the store for $3 can provide you with pounds of fresh produce over the course of the season. On top of that, gardening is fun! It’s a great way to get out of the house and spend quality time either with loved ones or to enjoy your own personal time alone. Last but not least, home-grown veggies will always taste better than store-bought veggies. Nothing beats the juicy taste of fresh produce straight from the garden!

What should I grow?

There are countless vegetables you can plant and grow in your very own backyard, but before you raid your local home improvement gardening department for any and every vegetable plant you can find, take a look at how much and what kind of vegetables you and/or your family will eat. You will also need to do some research (or just ask a gardening clerk) to find out how often each vegetable plant will produce. For example, tomatoes and squash will continue to produce throughout the entire season, whereas carrots and corn will only produce once.

How much space do I need?

One of the great things about vegetable gardening is that it requires very little space—and if you plan on using containers to grow your vegetables, you don’t even need a yard! Look into how tall and wide the vegetables you want to plant will reach at maturity and go from there. But just remember, the bigger your garden, the more room there is for weeds or pests to make their way in.

Where should I plant my vegetable garden?

Many vegetables require plenty of sunlight (think six to eight hours a day), regular watering and moist, well-drained soil. Planting your vegetable garden in an area that can provide all three will set you up for success in the future.

Be sure to check back to see Part 2 of this post, which will include additional answers to frequently asked vegetable gardening questions!